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Honda WR V Features & Specifications

With cross-hatches, car makers have kept the formula simple – take their existing hatches, inject some testosterone with thick slide cladding, roof rails, larger wheels and voila! We have an all-new model. The i20 Active, the Etios Cross and the Cross Polo, all seem to toe this line of thought (except the Fiat Urban Cross – but it hardly sells!).With the new WR-V, Honda has made an honest effort to create a Jazz-based crossover that stands out from its donor car. Not just in terms of its SUV-inspired looks, which gives it a different persona, especially when viewed from the front and rear. But also in the way it has gone about tweaking the suspension, raising ground clearance and adding a few more features to differentiate it from the Jazz. View offers & discounts on Honda Cars from Honda dealers in India

Honda WR V Exterior & Style

Unlike some other Cross hatchbacks of its segment, the Honda WR-V gets some significant updates which has helped it get an entirely new identity. Towards the front, the WR-V features a raised bonnet while the thick chrome grille somehow reminds us of the new City. Besides the revised hood and grille the headlamp cluster too has been redesigned as well and also gets integrated LED daytime running lamps. To make the Crossover slightly beefier the WRV also features a sculpted bumper which also houses round shaped fog lamps. There are also silver finished scuff plates. Just like the front profiles the side profile too features larger 16-inch wheels wrapped with 195/60 profile tyres.Just like the front and side profile the rear profile too has been heavily modified as well as it gets different appearing L-shaped taillamps. The rear bumper too has been amended as well along with new bumpers and slightly modified tailgate.

Honda WR V Interior & Comfort

There are less significant changes in Honda WR-V in terms of interiors, over the Jazz that it is based on. Interior is themed in black plastic and black fabric with a few dashes of grey and silver in the corners and trims.Seats are well bolstered around the thighs and back and feel much more supportive for long drives this car is aiming to be used for. There is a central armrest for front row passengers with an openable cubby space, which can easily house a phone and sunglasses.

Rear seats however are a surprise. They are flat and fixed and also have integrated headrests, which aren’t helpful for people who are about 6 feet tall. Rear seats are less supportive but cushioning is pretty soft. Leg room perhaps is the ultimate selling point for WR-V. With a standard driving position in the front seat, there’s space at the rear to stretch your legs or even accommodate a camping bag between the knees and front seat base.

The infotainment system is a new upgraded Digipad recently seen in the all new Honda City. The infotainment system operates on new gen Navigation software, Apple Carplay and Android Auto. The touch screen has noticeable lag and it takes patience to get used to it on the move. Honda’s party trick in the WR-V is the installation of a one touch sunroof in the top end trim to add to overall opulence of the otherwise dark cabin.The top end diesel variant gets cruise control to adds to the convenience of long highway expeditions. 363 litres of boot space without the rear seats folded down is sufficient to carry large suitcases and an ice box for the weekend.

Honda WR V Engine & Gear box

As expected, the WR-V gets the same engines as the Jazz. That means a SOHC 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol that produces 90PS at 6,000rpm and 110Nm at 4,800rpm as well as a DOHC 1.5-litre I-DTEC turbo-diesel that puts out 100PS at 3,600rpm and 200Nm at 1,750rpm. The diesel gets a 6-speed manual and the petrol gets a 5-speed manual – however, there is no CVT option like in the Jazz.The diesel engine has got good low-end grunt and with a responsive throttle, it will happily trudge along at 25kmph in third gear. The engine is quite free-revving and the linear power delivery makes the car quite enjoyable, if not exciting, to drive around. The gearbox is typically Honda with a precise click-click when you shift gears, while the light and progressive clutch is nice to use in stop-and-go traffic.

Additionally, the 6-speed makes the WR-V a comfortable and effortless highway cruiser. While Honda didn’t give us any figures, they are claiming best-in-class acceleration figures. They are also claiming that the WR-V diesel will offer segment-leading efficiency with a figure of 25.5kmpl. This is 1.8kmpl less than what they claim for the Jazz. Apart from the extra 50kg that the WR-V carries, this could also be down to the gearing which, Honda says, has been optimised for better acceleration. But we’ll have to wait for the road test to get real-world figures.What is obvious is that the engine is still as loud as it has always been. NVH levels are quite poor in the cabin and that’s personally quite off-putting.

On the contrary, the 1.2-litre petrol engine is super refined and creamy. It’s very quiet till around 4,000rpm at which point the sound turns to a nice raspy note which gets louder as you get to the redline. That said, the sound is the only exciting thing about it. The engine feels annoyingly underpowered and you really have to rev the nuts off of it for some decent acceleration and that can get quite annoying especially during overtakes. This, despite Honda saying that they reworked the gearing for better acceleration. That said, it shouldn’t be too much of a problem within the city. The precise gearbox and the light clutch only make the experience that much nicer in slow-moving traffic. Honda is claiming that the petrol WR-V will return an overall average of 17.5kmpl which is quite respectable.

Honda WR V Ride & Handling

The WR-V rides on a slightly higher suspension compared to the Jazz, but this has not had any adverse effect on its handling which inspires confidence at high speeds. Body roll too is fairly contained. With its larger 16-inch wheels that ride on 195/60 profile tyres, the WR-V absorbs bumps pretty decently – certainly better than the Jazz and will handle any pothole-riddled urban street rather well.The electric power steering is from the Jazz and has been re-calibrated for the WR-V. It offers more assistance at lower speeds and can be twirled with ease. The steering is precise and offers good feedback, which makes it enjoyable at higher speeds.

Honda WR V Safety & Braking

All variants of the Honda WR-V get dual front airbags and ABS with EBD as standard. It also gets a rear camera with multiple viewing angles, but like the City and Jazz, you don’t get rear parking sensors.

The Honda WR-V is the first sub-4 meter Crossover from Honda which will help the Japanese Auto manufacturer to boost some sales because their other Crossover the BR-V definitely neither did not impress the Indian crowd much after its launch. The Cross hatchback looks loaded with features and although this is the beefier variant of the Jazz hatchback it gets slightly more interior space than the standard hatchback. Apply Car Loan for Honda WRV